This invention relates to an instrument for extracting a biopsy specimen and more particularly to an instrument for conducting a cervical biopsy.
Various instruments in the prior art are known for extracting a biopsy section. A needle instrument for extracting biopsy sections is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,878. The specimen tissue is drawn by suction into an opening and severed by a slidable cutter. The suction is said to help retain the specimen in the cutter cup.
A double-sided biopsy knife is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,702 for obtaining biopsies of the cervix. The cutting blades are angled in a manner to provide a conical biopsy. Another biopsy punch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,321. This punch utilizes opposing jaws having beaks which engage and grip a selected tissue portion therebetween. The closing of the jaws frees the tissue specimen from the surrounding tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,357 illustrates a biopsy punch having first and second jaw members at one end thereof. Upon closing the jaws, the tissue is captured therebetween. A skin biopsy punch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,128 which uses a knife in communication with a piston/cylinder assembly to hold the skin specimen by pressure differential upon such specimen being severed from the attached fatty tissue. Finally an endocervical strip biopsy instrument is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,698 which uses a basketlike member removably mounted onto a handle. The basket member carries a cutting blade which is drawn distally from the external os of the endocervical canel. During this withdrawal a strip of endocervical tissue falls into the basket.
Although these instruments are assumably effective in their operation, their design are relatively complex in construction and awkward in use. Moreover these previous devices have not been particularly designed for throw away after use and must be sterilized after extraction of the cervical tissue for subsequent use.
Accordingly I have provided cervical biopsy punches which are easy to manufacture, assemble and are specifically designed for obtaining a specimen of the cervical tissue with little or minimal discomfort to the patient. Moreover my now preferred punches being of an efficient design may be discarded after use precluding the need to subsequently sterilize the same.
Generally each of my punches comprise an elongated tubular housing having a slidable cutter blade therein. At the end of the tubular housing is a port designed to receive a portion of the cervical tissue therein. The end of the blade housing may be open so as to allow the cutting blade to extend beyond the housing upon completion of its extracting function and present the severed tissue specimen. At the proximal end of the housing is a handle for extension of the finger therethrough. A ring at the proximal end of the cutting blade receives the physician's thumb therethrough for exertion of pressure thereon and subsequent slidable movement of the cutting blade through the housing. Upon the slidable movement a portion of the cervical tissue extending into the port is severed and captured on the cutting blade.
Accordingly the general object of this invention is to provide a biopsy punch for extracting a cervical tissue specimen.
Another object of this invention is to provide a biopsy punch, as aforesaid, which is simple in construction and operation.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a cervical punch, as aforesaid, which presents a tissue receiving aperture therein for receiving the desired cervical tissue in position for subsequent extraction by the slidable blade.
A more particular aspect of certain embodiments of this invention is to provide a cervical punch, as aforesaid, which comprises an elongated blade housing having an opening at the distal end thereon with the extracted tissue specimen being presented beyond the blade housing.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description of various embodiments, the accompanying drawings and claims.